Reliable brain morphometry from contrast-enhanced T1w-MRI in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Brain morphometry is usually based on non-enhanced (pre-contrast) T1-weighted MRI. However, such dedicated protocols are sometimes missing in clinical examinations. Instead, an image with a contrast agent is often available.

Multiple Sclerosis immunotherapies and COVID-19 mortality: an analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.

Background: Evidence on mortality risks associated with MS-immunotherapies during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic derived thus far mainly from single country experiences.

Objective: In this analysis, we aim to determine the frequency of COVID-19 associated fatality reports of patients receiving an MS-immunotherapy as reported to the international Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from February 2020 to March 2021.

Methods: In all, 1071 cases for this cross-sectional analysis were retrieved from FAERS and a multivariable logistic regression was performed.

Application of the "risk of ambulatory disability" (RoAD) score in a "real-world" single-center multiple sclerosis cohort.

Survival analysis of reaching EDSS ≥4.0 based on RoAD score ≥4 (dashed line) and <4 (solid line) by Cox regression analysis. (A) Unadjusted regression analysis.

Different Fumaric Acid Esters Elicit Distinct Pharmacologic Responses.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that dimethyl fumarate (DMF, Tecfidera) elicits different biological changes from DMF combined with monoethyl fumarate (MEF) (Fumaderm, a psoriasis therapy), we investigated DMF and MEF in rodents and cynomolgus monkeys. Possible translatability of findings was explored with lymphocyte counts from a retrospective cohort of patients with MS.

Methods: In rodents, we evaluated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects induced by DMF and MEF monotherapies or in combination (DMF/MEF).

c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase as a Therapeutic Target in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.

c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is upregulated during multiple sclerosis relapses and at the peak of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We aim to investigate the effects of pharmacological pan-JNK inhibition on the course of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) EAE disease using in vivo and in vitro experimental models. EAE was induced in female C57BL/6JRj wild type mice using MOG.

Functional relevance of the multi-drug transporter abcg2 on teriflunomide therapy in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.

Background: The multi-drug resistance transporter ABCG2, a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, mediates the efflux of different immunotherapeutics used in multiple sclerosis (MS), e.g., teriflunomide (teri), cladribine, and mitoxantrone, across cell membranes and organelles.

1,25-OH vitamin D and AKT-inhibition increase glucocorticoid induced apoptosis in a model of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), steroid resistance and hypovitaminosis D are both associated with a poor prognosis. We show that methylprednisolone, calcitriol and the AKT-inhibitor MK-2206 have a synergistic effect on the apoptosis of steroid resistant T-ALL cells. Compared to methylprednisolone monotherapy, calcitriol increases methylprednisolone induced apoptosis dose-dependently (1.

Intramuscular Testosterone Supplementation Ameliorates Depression in Hypogonadal Men: A Retrospective Study in an Outpatient Department.

Introduction: Substantial evidence has indicated an association between hypogonadism and depressive symptoms, which led to the conduction of studies that found an ameliorating effect of testosterone (T) supplementation (S) upon depression in men.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records identified 16 depressed, hypogonadal men who have not responded adequately to initial antidepressant therapy and subsequently received intramuscular T injections. Following the proposal of Button et al.

Vitamin D supplementation differentially affects seasonal multiple sclerosis disease activity.

Objectives: Low ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation causes hypovitaminosis D, which is a known risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) and associated with MS disease activity. Our objective is to test whether vitamin D supplementation is most effective in lowering disease activity during the period of the year with low UVB radiation and consequently low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records from our outpatient department identified 40 MS patients with available data of at least 6 months before and during oral vitamin D supplementation.